Fund Cuts Leave Poor In The Cold Early Onset Of Winter, Federal Reforms Limit Help With Heating Bills

The power is back on in North Idaho homes darkened by November’s ice storm - at least for those families who can afford it.

Utilities restored power to nearly every home by the first week of December. But people unable to pay their heating bills now are asking for help in the face of dwindling federal money.

Almost 300 people in Kootenai County and about 600 people in Bonner County are on waiting lists for the federal energy assistance program, said Gary Domanski, who administers the program in North Idaho through the North Idaho Community Action Agency.

“Oh, man, we are not only swamped, but we - in just about all the counties - are putting people on waiting lists because of lack of funding,” Domanski said.

Agency officials suspect that the big rush for energy help is partly due to the stormy weather interfering with employment - such as construction jobs - and residents’ fears that if they apply too late, they’ll miss out.

Thousands of qualified people were unable to get energy assistance in Idaho last year.

And this year the state has received about $1 million less for the federal program, said Neva Kaufman, grants manager for the state Department of Health and Welfare.

In 1995, Idaho got $7 million for heating and weatherization benefits, and this year the state only got $6 million.

“Each year it’s taken some kind of funding cut,” she said. In 1994, about 27,000 people statewide benefited from the program, but last year only 14,000 families did. The big drop was due to a federal government shutdown and the resulting uncertainty of funding, Kaufman said.

Because the recent cuts affected administrative spending, Domanski has been unable to hire as many people as usual to process applications.

And with federal welfare reform, the applications have become more complex.

“We’re under federal mandate to look at consumer usage,” he said. That means the application process involves examining meter read-outs and math to calculate benefits based on usage.

Applicants also are required to watch a 15 to 20-minute video on energy use.

As a last resort, needy families can apply for help under Project Share, a program funded by contributions from utility customers.

Project Share normally has $400,000 to distribute throughout the Inland Northwest each year. With cutbacks in the federal energy assistance program, Project Share could be hit hard with requests for help.

Last March, for the first time, Project Share ran out of money. Now contributions are up again.

“Project Share is a safety net, but it’s not big enough for everybody,” said Julie Pickerel of the Spokane Neighborhood Action Program, which distributes Project Share funds regionally.

“Both programs are going wild,” Domanski said.

, DataTimes